1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to clamp assemblies for securing cables, wires or the like to structures, and more particularly to improved locking features for engaging a bail to the clamp assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various clamp assemblies are known for engaging and suspending a cable from a support but known designs suffer from problems such as unwanted disengagement of the clamp assembly from the support. Typically, the clamp assembly has a shell, a wedge or body member and a bail that forms a loop. The shell cooperates with the body member to grip and hold the cable. The loop-shaped bail connects to the body member to suspend the cable secured by the clamp to a support such as a ceramic insulator, hook or the like. The support can represent a point of termination such as pole, building or other locations for power cables or telephone lines, for example, from a general network to individual household known commonly as a drop wire.
While known clamp assemblies produce the desired result of gripping and holding the cable securely, an impact directed against the bail can cause unwanted disengagement of the bail from the body member, even after complete assembly, resulting in many practical difficulties during installation. For example, a worker installing cables or drop wires can perform this work at heights above the ground and may need to perform simultaneously several suspending operations. In order to suspend the cable from the support, the worker needs to pull the cable to the body member, while holding together this arrangement, insert and pull the shell into position, and then attach the bail around the support and to the body member. If the bail is bumped or otherwise impacted, the cable clamp assembly can disengage completely from the support taking the cable to the ground, and possibly placing the line installer into a dangerous or unsafe condition. Further, if the worker first assembles the bail around the support and to the body member, disengagement can distract the worker unduly while the worker is trying to hold the cable to the body member.
The clamp assembly can also be used in the nature of connecting conducting wires or cables thus increasing the need for safety features on clamp assemblies. At a minimum, the nuisance of reinstalling and securing the bail to the drop tends to increase the installation time and expense as well as causing other related problems. Therefore, an improved clamp assembly is needed to eliminate unwanted disengagements and the disadvantages of other known assemblies. Furthermore, a clamp assembly is needed with advantages such as low cost of manufacture, easier use and on-site installation.
The present invention is directed to a releasable bail as opposed to a fixed, closed-loop bail. Many bail configurations are available for installation on various type of hooks, eyes or the like. Typically, closed-loop bails are permanently secured to the body member during manufacture and can be made from hard wire such as aluminum as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,050,273; 4,939,821; 4,637,098; and 4,542,562; or from a stamped plate as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,117; or from a plastic composition as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,059 or the like. Normally closed-loop bails cannot be attached to a closed support such as ceramic insulators, eyelets or the like, and are generally hung from simple hook supports. However, some closed-loop designs allow for attachment to the closed support such as a nylon jacketed flexible wire or the hard wire bail disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,273.
Known releasable bails provide an attached end and interlocking of the free bail end to the body member permitting manipulation by the worker to effect engagement or disengagement of a free end as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,781,212 and 2,239,258. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,948,845 there is disclosed a bail with both free ends connected to the support or body member. Unlike the present invention, known releasable bails can become easily disengaged by an impact directed to the bail. In addition, these known releasable bails can be easily deformed during installation if the worker bends or distorts the bail when placing it around the support or when compressing the bail to attach a bail end to the body member. Deformation can result in a skewed bail-to-body member orientation or insufficient seating of the bail ends against the body member once assembled and can cause failures resulting in complete disengagement of the bail-to-body member attachment. The present invention eliminates these types of failures by providing improvements requiring less bail deformation to attach the bail to the structure and to the body member.